Locals oppose Harry Crosbie's 'Baby Vicar' and 4-star hotel for Dublin's docklands

Gordon Deegan

Plans by Harry Crosbie for a new hotel and 200-seater ‘Baby Vicar’ entertainment venue for Dublin’s docklands are facing local opposition.

This follows local residents lodging objections with Dublin City Council against the plan by Mr Crosbie’s Misery Hill Entertainment Ltd for a 4-star 35-bedroom hotel and the 'Baby Vicar' venue at Hanover Quay in Dublin 2.

The hotel and ‘Baby Vicar’ venue will be housed in a two storey glass box as part of an innovative design by PRC Architecture & Planning where the two level glass cube will ‘oversail’ the protected structure at 9 Hanover Quay.

However, one local resident, Dr Heidi Furlong has told the council that the negative consequences from the development “will have a detrimental effect on long established residents’ quality of living but also on rental and sale value of properties in the Grand Canal basin area”.

Nuria Gomez Cadahia lives at Longboat Quay South with her husband and their two children and has told the Council that “this project will cause significant nuisance to our family and to residents in the area generally and especially for people living in Longboat Quay”.

Ms Gomez Cadahia stated that "in my opinion, building such a large complex, right by the water and in front of our doorstep is ludicrous…Why should local residents suffer from a project that is primarily aimed at business profit”.

In her own submission, Cllr Claire Byrne (Green Party) has told the Council that “there is a housing crisis in Dublin and it is hard to justify the building of yet another hotel in that context”.

Cllr Byrne said that locals have raised valid concerns over noise and light pollution.

She said: “I am an avid supporter of our night time economy and have campaigned for more late night venues in the city for many years. However, to develop a venue in such close proximity to a number of well established residential buildings with a strong community makes little sense.”

Planning consultant, Robert Nowlan has lodged an objection on behalf of 17 residents of Longboat Quay South.

Mr Nowlan states that “our clients are concerned with regards to the proposed increased scale and massing of the development as well as the use proposed as a music venue which would have major noise pollution on adjoining residents”.

Mr Nowlan contends that "the scale of development and the proximity to the existing residential development will result in significant adverse impacts”.

Inlands Waterway Ireland (IWI) has told the council that an Ecological Impact Assessment is required to assess any potential impacts of the proposed development.

The IWI submission states that there is a known nesting location for EU protected, Common Tern on Camden Lock while the EU protected, Otter are known to be active and breeding in the vicinity of Camden Lock and are likely to forage in the area of Grand Canal Dock.

Asked to comment on the submissions, Mr Crosbie said that “the issue of noise is not an issue”.

He said: “We will be installing the latest modern acoustic technology which we already have in place at Vicar Street. You can have a heavy metal band playing at full volume at Vicar Street but they can’t be heard from six feet outside the venue”.

Mr Crosbie said that the new hotel and Baby Vicar venue “will become a beacon attracting people into the area”.

He said today: “The area desperately needs footfall at night and empty office blocks are sucking the air of the natural vitality of the area."

Mr Crosbie spearheaded the renewal of the docklands area and was behind what is the 3Arena today, the Bord Gais Energy Theatre while he was also a partner in delivering the Convention Centre Dublin (CCD).

Mr Crosbie continues to successfully operate Vicar Street in Dublin 8.

A decision is due on the new application in mid-April.